Touch gets it done, tangibles make it fun? Balancing objective accuracy and user experience

This study compares Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) with conventional touch interfaces (CTIs) on multi-touch tables for exploratory multi-user map applications. We developed a prototype that enables multiple users to interact with map content simultaneously and independently. Four interaction methods were implemented and evaluated: gesture-based touch control, widget-based touch joystick control, and two tangible interaction variants (a joystick and car-steering metaphor). A user study with 15 participants was conducted in which users navigated predefined routes with varying difficulty. We collected both objective performance measurements and subjective user assessments. While touch-based methods yielded higher accuracy in objective metrics, TUI-based interactions were rated significantly better by participants in terms of user experience. Notably, the car-steering tangible control was particularly well-received, highlighting how physical, playful interaction can enhance usability despite lower accuracy. These findings contribute to our understanding of how different interaction paradigms support collaborative exploration on multi-touch surfaces.